


Look, I Don't Mean To Frustrate, But I Always Make the Same Mistakes

by orphan_account



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angry Keith (Voltron), Bilingual Lance (Voltron), Cuban Lance (Voltron), Heroes, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Keith (Voltron) is Bad at Feelings, Keith (Voltron) is a Mess, M/M, Paladins, Scars, Soft Klance., Soft Klance?, Soft Lance (Voltron), Space Dad Shiro (Voltron), Twisted and Fluffy Feelings, actually idk if this counts as klance but, keith is just enlightened, not much fluff, or Romance, so?, soft boys anyways, sorry its short, thats it, thats the show, wow thats a tag
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-31
Updated: 2017-12-31
Packaged: 2019-02-24 09:56:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,371
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13211340
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Keith's breath hitched as his eyes raked over Lance's golden skin and the muscles rolling beneath it.However, that wasn't what caught his attention.It was the raw, angry pink marks etched into the gold.Scars.Keith's mind flashes back to the time when the Galra had bombed the castle as his eyes traced one of the larger scars. He didn't realize...He didn't even think Lance would have...But in a another split second, his eyes catch another large scar. This one was a little more faded, but nonetheless noticeable.Crescents in the shape of a larger crescent. Teeth marks."What happened to you?"OrHeroes always put their lives at risk.It doesn't matter.It  shouldn't  matter.But the paladins are heroes.And it matters to Keith.





	Look, I Don't Mean To Frustrate, But I Always Make the Same Mistakes

**Author's Note:**

> Surfer / Swimmer Lance? Let's elaborate.

Keith has never been good with words.

He says all the wrong things at the wrong time before his mind catches up with him. By then, it's usually too late.

On top of that, he's not good with people. He's not good at reading them, nor comforting, rarely ever relating. He's just _not good_ with people.

Then there's Lance.

The blue paladin is his complete opposite.

The Cuban boy is loud, loves everything and everyone. He's good with people. He knows what to say, when to say it, how to say it. He's just _so good_ with people.

Keith is red. Lance is blue. Fire and ice. Opposites.

The fact of the matter is that ice can melt in the presence of a flame.

Keith knows Lance is a great person. Hell, he envies Lance because of it. He knows Lance tries his best to do the right thing at all given moments, but it doesn't change the fact that the _right thing_ isn't always the _best thing_.

Lance rescuing that poor child from the hands of the Galra was a good thing.

Lance getting them nearly killed, in the process, not so much.

But Keith, had he a clearer head at the moment, would have known better than to scold Lance, because yes. Lance and the paladins got away without harm. Yes, they managed to save a life. But it was nearly too close of a call.

Who's life could they have lost? What could have been the cost of exposing their cover like that?

Keith knows better than to dwell on an 'if'.

He knows, in a situation like this, Shiro would have probably be praising Lance for having thought of saving someone's life over his own. He would have praised them all for their hard work and for having managed to get out of such a conflict.

But, as much as he wishes, Keith isn't Shiro. He doesn't have that leader-like quality. He can't say or do the right thing as easily as Shiro or Lance. He's just _not good_ with people.

So, with adrenaline still rushing through his veins, Keith confronts the blue paladin. Or more like, verbally tackles the poor guy before Shiro has the chance to do anything at all.

" _What were you thinking?!_ " He yells, discarding his helmet.

Lance backpedals, hands raised defensively as Keith comes up to him.

" _Do you know how close we came to getting captured?!_ "

Lance frowns, eyebrows furrowing. "Dude, c'mon, that kid--"

" _That kid_ was none of our concern. We were _supposed_ to be guarding as Pidge hacked into their base." Keith interrupts. "But you didn't care did you? You think we can just leave our positions to save some _kid_."

To that Lance visibly bristles, his face expressing offense, but Keith continues.

"You put a single _kid's_ life over your own, ours, and the rest of the universes'!"

Keith is pushed back before either of them can speak.

"Keith, that's enough." Shiro says, his hands pushing them apart. "It's over now, isn't it? No point in arguing further." But as he says it, he looks at Lance and it's clear Shiro is favoring Keith. His body language gives away everything.

Lance seems offended again, but he doesn't respond.

Looking back on it now, Keith thinks that's odd. Lance always has some kind of fiery comeback.

Lance, instead, steps back from them and wordlessly turns to leave.

Keith watches him go.

Lance's posture was stiff, tense.

That wasn't right.

Lance was usually calm, confident, walked with loose muscles, arms swaying back and forth at his sides.

In the moment, Keith was too annoyed to care; but now that he sits on his bed reflecting back to the memory, he can't help but wonder why.

Well. He had intentions of going to apologize anyways, why not kill two birds with one stone?

He stood to leave, fiddling with his gloves as he walked to Lance's room.

When he arrived, he hesitated to knock.

What if Lance didn't want an apology? What if he was still angry at Keith? He had reasons to be.

Even so, Keith had to apologize, so he sucked it up and knocked.

Apparently the door was open.

The door pushed wider with his knock, revealing the cluttered room and it's inhabitant.

Lance's back was to Keith as he was putting on a shirt, his arms were in the sleeves but he was barely putting his head in when the door swung open.

Keith's breath hitched as his eyes raked over Lance's golden skin, the muscles rolling beneath it, but that wasn't what caught his attention.

It was the raw, angry pink marks etched into the gold.

Scars.

Keith's mind flashes back to the time when the Galra had bombed the castle as his eyes traced one of the larger scars. He didn't realize...

He didn't even think Lance would have...

But in a another split second, his eyes catch another large scar. This one was a little more faded, but nonetheless noticeable.

Crescents in the shape of a larger crescent. Teeth marks.

His feet were moving before he could stop them. His fingers flew to the patches of pink skin without thought.

Lance flinched, still taken by surprise by Keith's knock, his intrusion, and now the touch against his sensitive skin.

"Ke--"

"What happened to you?" Keith interrupted, his voice soft, feathery. Concerned. He traced his fingers over the marks.

Lance then finished putting on his shirt, shoving Keith's hands off him in the process.

"Nothing important. Why are you here?"

Keith's hand remained in the air. "I-"

Lance turned to face him.

"I came to apologize."

The Cuban arched a brow.

Keith straighted out. "I - I was wrong... earlier. What's important is that you're alive. That _we're_ alive."

Lance seemed to cave at that. "Thank you. I'm glad you came to your senses."

Keith rolled his eyes, "We still could have died. It's a little hard for me to understand how you could act so recklessly. Did you even think about how wrong things could have gone if one of us hadn't made it out alive?"

At that Lance frowned.

 

"You asked me what happened."

 

"Excuse me?"

"You asked me what happened." Lance repeated. "My scars."

Keith raised a brow in confusion.

"Keith. We're paladins of Voltron." Lance stated, crossing his arms and turning around. "Our job is to protect and defend the universe. That means everyone and anyone in it. No matter what happens to us. No matter the risk for our own safety."

Keith remained quiet.

"If I'd died out there today, it wouldn't have mattered. That's my job. It _shouldn't_ matter."  
Lance turned around, pulling his shirt over his head.

"I got these," he shrugged to gesture as Keith looked at the raw skin again, "from saving my little sister. Shark attack, about five years ago."

Keith's eyes widened, his fingers yearning to touch the skin again.

"It was one of the wost attacks of the season." Lance continued. "I could have died."

"...but you did it anyways." Keith whispered.

"And I would it over and over again in a heartbeat." Lance said. "She was fine, I managed to give her over to my uncle before I was attacked. My little sister was about the same age, at the time, as that kid I rescued today."

Keith's face fell into an expression of understanding. "They reminded you of her."

Lance nodded slowly. "Yeah." He whispered longingly. "But besides that. I couldn't let them be taken by those heartless Galra. You and I have witnessed Shiro's panic attacks. His flashbacks, the scars. I don't wish that upon anyone. _Especially_ a kid."

Keith hummed.

"Besides. We're heroes, are we not?" He smiled. "Putting our own lives at risk over other is our job." He huffed. "And, dammit, _I do my job!_ "

Keith chuckled. "That you do, Sharpshooter."

Lance pulled his shirt back down, his face beaming with a radiant smile.

So, yes. Keith has never been good with words. Maybe he never will be.

Lance is good with words. He's good with people. And as long as Lance does what is best, the results will always be good.

Keith feels he should take notes.

**Author's Note:**

> Shark attacks are terrifying, sharks themselves are so cute omg. I would die for one.  
> Plus the scars from an attacc look rlly cool.  
> Just saying.  
> I'm a sucker for scars and shark week so...?  
> My favorite time of year tbh.  
> And Lance likes sharks too...
> 
> Anyways, happy new year! Come scream at me on Tumblr, I get lonely ;-; @voicecrackismyaesthetic or @trustmenot !


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